Primary 5 Foundation maths · Measurement & time · About 12 minutes
Use hours and minutes
Keep complete units and extra units separate until their names match.
Start the interactive lesson →Open practice activity
What you will learn
- Use hours and minutes
Models used: number sentences, stories, tables.
Before you start
Watch the two hands
At 3 o’clock, the short hand points to 3 and the long hand points to 12.
At 3 o’clock, the short hand points to 3 and the long hand points to 12.
Time units do not all follow decimal place value. Rename the complete larger units, then include the remaining smaller ones.
Three o’clock The long hand travels halfway around: 30 minutes. The short hand moves halfway towards 4.
Half past three A full turn is 60 minutes. The short hand has reached the next hour.
60 minutes = 1 hour
Four o’clock
What did the picture help us see?
A full turn is 60 minutes. The short hand has reached the next hour.
Worked example: A new example, together
Write 88 minutes in hours and minutes.
| Hours | Extra minutes | Total minutes |
|---|---|---|
| ? | ? | 88 |
The same duration in hours and minutes. Read each value with the heading above its column.
Keep complete units and extra units separate until their names match.
Each whole hour contains 60 minutes. Group or ungroup those minutes without changing the duration.
The same duration in hours and minutes Hours Extra minutes Total minutes ? ? 88 The same duration in hours and minutes. Read each value with the heading above its column.
One hour equals 60 minutes.
The same duration in hours and minutes Hours Extra minutes Total minutes ? ? 88 Write 88 minutes in hours and minutes.
1 h 28 min
The same duration in hours and minutes. Read each value with the heading above its column.
One hour equals 60 minutes.
The same duration in hours and minutes Hours Extra minutes Total minutes ? ? 88 The same duration in hours and minutes. Read each value with the heading above its column.
1 × 60 = 60.
The same duration in hours and minutes Hours Extra minutes Total minutes ? ? 88 The same duration in hours and minutes. Read each value with the heading above its column.
60 + 28 = 88 minutes.
The same duration in hours and minutes Hours Extra minutes Total minutes ? ? 88 The same duration in hours and minutes. Read each value with the heading above its column.
Check the result against the question we started with.
88 ÷ 60 gives 1 whole hours with 28 minutes remaining.
We found 1 h 28 min. Each whole hour contains 60 minutes. Group or ungroup those minutes without changing the duration.
The same duration in hours and minutes Hours Extra minutes Total minutes ? ? 88
Common mistakes to discuss
- The hundred-minute hour. An hour holds 60 minutes. 77 minutes is 1 h 17 min, not 1 h 77 min or 1.77 hours.
Check your understanding
- Use hours and minutes
- rename a duration without changing how long it lasts
- check the answer against the original quantities and units
Explain your reasoning to an adult, then try a fresh question in the interactive lesson. A result from one attempt is not proof of lasting mastery.
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